While Chromebooks are usually low- to mid-range notebooks powered by Chrome OS that target budget-conscious consumers, things are slowly changing. Even now not all Chromebooks are cheap portables and while the Dell Chromebook 13 family can offer up to 8 GB of memory and an Intel Core i5 processor, the upcoming Google Chromebook Pixel might soon offer even better specs.

While the new device mentioned by a discussion on the Chromium OS code review group does not even have a name yet, most chances are this will turn into a high-end Chrome OS-powered machine soon. Codenamed Chell, this portable machine is supposed to feature an Intel Skylake processor, 16 GB of memory, as well as a backlit important and a LED light bar. This element is very important since only the first generation HP Chromebook 11 and the Google Chromebook Pixel packed such a feature so far.

In addition to the above, the recent leaks also reveal that Chell will be manufactured by Quanta Computer, a device manufacturer that currently works for multiple laptop brands. Since the Chromebook Pixel with Intel Core i5 and 8 GB RAM is no longer available for sale, a replacement could come out soon. If Chell is the replacement, that remains to be seen.

Although I have been writing about new software and hardware for almost a decade, I consider myself to be old school. I always enjoy listening to music on CD or tape instead of digital files and I will not even get into the touchscreen vs physical keys debate. However, I also enjoy new technology, as I now have the chance to take a look at the future every day. I joined the Notebookcheck crew back in 2013 and I have no plans to leave the ship anytime soon.